Rotary engine.



PATENTED MAY 24. 1904' H. E. MARLBTT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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few @52 YHE NORHII PETERS OOWPNOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON No. 760,464. PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

H. E. MARLETT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED mm: 1. 1903.

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Patented May 24, 1904.

HARRY E. MARLETT, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 760,464, dated May 24, 1904. Applicationfiled Junc- 1,1903. Serial No. 159,707. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, HARRY E. 1VIARLET1, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fluid-pressure motors, and relates more particularly to that class of motors which are known as rotary engines.

The object of this invention is to providea rotary engine in which the losses due to friction and leakage are reduced to a minimum and at the same time to accomplish this result with as few parts and as simple construction as is possible. I

A further object of this invention is to construct a motor of this type which will be reversible and in which the cut-off may be varied to' suit the conditions under which the engine is operated.

A still further object of this invention is to construct the engine in such a manner that the different wearing parts may be readily renewed when required.

Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, formingapartof this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cap and the parts located in front thereof removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. at is a rear elevation. Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of the engine, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the valve-controlling mechanism.

In carrying out my invention I provide the main cylinder-casting 1, in which the main cylinder 2 is formed, and the cylinder 3 is also formed in this casting above and communicat ing with the cylinder 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The main shaft 45 has secured to its central portion the part 5, the piston 6 being formed integral or mounted therein. shaft 6 is located in the cylinder 3 and has a part 7 secured thereon, in which the valvular wings 8 are secured. The end of this shaft 6 has mounted thereon the star-wheel 9, which, is preferably formed of three plates, although the same could be made of one part, the forward plate of which consists of a disk which is notched, the central disk being in the form of a star and the rear disk being in theform of a perfect circle. These disks are all suitably secured together, and the number of points in the star portion of the same corre: sponds with and is placed on a relative position to the wings 8 on the shaft. Mounted on the outer end of shaft t is the knocker 1O,

said knocker being for the purpose of actuating the shafts 6 through the medium of the star-wheel, the construction of said knocker to be hereinafter more fully described.

The

The general operation of the engine is as follows: The steam being admitted to the cylinders at a suitable point will act upon piston 6 and force the same in one or the other direction until such time as said piston has reached a position Where it is necessary for it to intercept and pass through the upper cylinder,

' at which time the wings 8 must be revolved,

this being done by the knocker 10 acting on star-wheel 9 and revolving shaft 6, with which the wings are connected. The piston having passed through two of these wings, the wing at its rear will form an abutment, and the steam which in entering the cylinder 2 will be confined between said abutment and piston 6 thereby again forces the same around. The exhaust-pipes 11 and 12 are suitably connected 7 to cylinder 2 at either upper side, and steamports 14 and 15 are also connected therewith.

at a point adjacent to said eXhaust-ports, the said steam-inlet ports communicating with the steam-inlet through a steam-chest 16, in which a valve 17 is mounted for the purpose of determining which of said ports 14: or 15 shall be the operative port. A valve 18 is also located in this steam-chest, said valve having a stem. 19, which extends through a stufiing-box 20, and is connected by a turnbuckle 21 with the roller 22, upon which one of the eccentrics 23 23 is adapted to operate for the purpose of actuating said valve 18, thus controlling the steam-inlet to the steam chest and cylinder. The valve 17 is of a type such as is usuallyknown as a throttle-valve and consists in the valve proper, 17 having a squared slot 17, through which the squared stem 24 extends, the said stem having its upper portion rounded and extending through a stufling-box 25, its lower portion also being rounded and extending through a stufling-box 26 and connecting with a crank 27, said crank being to actuate the eccentrics.

The exhaust-pipes 11 and 12 have provided at a point adjacent to the cylinders valves 11 and 12, said valves being connected by alink 28 in such a manner that one is always closed while the other is opened, and the said pipes 11 and 12 at the point of exit from said valves are preferably joined into one pipe, which forms a common exhaust for whichevervalve may be opened. The link 28 is connected with the control-lever 29 by a link 28', and this control-lever 29 is pivoted on a bracket 30, secured to the body casting of the engine, the control-lever 29 being connected with a crank 31, mounted on the upper end of the valve-stem 24 by a slotted connection. From the foregoing description it will be seen that the actuation of the control-lever 29 will operate the valves 11 and 12, the valve 17, and the crank 27, which actuate the eccentrics. Thus the control of the engine is all accomplished from one point by one lever. The ports 14 and 15 enter the cylinder 2 at such apoint that one is on either side of the wing 8, which is formingthe abutment in said cylinder, and thus should one of the portssuch, for instance, as port 15-be the one at which the steam is permitted to enter, the valve 17 being in position shown in Fig. 5, the piston 6 would be moving in the direction of arrow shown in Fig. 2, the valve 11 in this instance being the one which is opened, thus permitting the exhaust to take place from the cylinder through the pipe 11. By actuating handle-29 the valve llwillbe closed and the valve 12' opened, the port 15 cut off from the hi1 3aminlet, and the port 14 connected therewith, the eccentrics 23 23 being moved tosuch a position as to properly actuate valve 18 when the movement of the piston 6 would be in a reverse direction. In order that the wing forming the abutment will be properly held in position while the engine is operating, it is necessary to provide a lock therefor, and to this end the lever 30, pivotally connected to the base of the engine, is provided, this lever 30 having an enlarged part intermediate its length in which an aperture is placed, and the hub of the knocker 10 extends therethrough, and the upper end of the lever 30 has an extension 31, which engages one of the notches 32,

provided in the outside plate of the star-wheel, thereby securely locking the same. 7 When it is desired to release the same for the purpose of permitting the knocker to operate on the star-wheel, and thus actuate the wings in the cylinder 3, a cam-lug 33, placed on the hub of said knocker, acts on the extension 34 on the inside of lever 30, thus disengaging the extension 31 from the notches 32 and permitting the said knocker to act. A spring 35 normally holds lever 30 in its engaging position.

The construction and operation of the eccentrics for the actuation of the steam-inlet valve is as follows: The two eccentrics 23 are oppositely disposed, and their offset faces are preferably connected by an inclined plane, whereby when the same is slid beneath the roller the said roller will travel upon said plane, as will be readily seen by referring to Fig. 6. The eccentrics and clutch are preferably formed inone part and are connected to the shaft 4 by a spline or feather connection. The clutch is provided with the clutchring 66, said ring being pivotally connected with the clutch-lever 37, which is pivotally secured in bracket 38, mounted on the head of the engine, and the lever 27 is connected with said lever 37 by a pin, which is adapted to travel through the slot 39, formed in said lever 37. It will thus be seen that the actuation of the lever 37 will determine which of the eccentrics 23 will be beneath and operate on roll 22, connected with the valve, and the said eccentrics being oppositely disposed will thus so actuate thevalve 18 that the same will admit steam to the cylinder at a time which will be in proper relation to the direction in which the piston 6 is traveling. The turnbuckle 1 is for the purpose of changing the relative distance between the bearing edge of roller 22 and the valve 18, thus determining the point at which the eccentric will actuatesaid roller and in this way varying the point at which the valve 18 willopen and close, thus varying the cut-off.

The construction of the knocker 10 is such that when the same comes into engagement with star-wheel 9 asudden blow, which would occur were said knocker rigid on the shaft 4, is obviated, and this construction consists in pivoting the arms 40 to an extension 41 of the knocker-hub, and compression-springs 42 are interposed between said arms 40 and arm. 41. It will thus be seen that the blow of the arm 40 against the star-wheel will be cushioned by said springs 42.

It is very necessary that in an engine of this type leakages should be avoided, and to this end I provide the several means which I will now describe within the cylinder. The wings 8 and piston 6 are provided with the same form of stuffing, which consists in forming the same with a space longitudinally of their length, and loosely mounted within said space is a plate 43,

IIO

which is secured therein by the pins 44:, which pass through the slots 44, formed in the plates 43. The ends of these cylinders which are formed by the cylinder-heads are semicircular in shape, and the ends of the wings and the piston correspond with but are of slightly less size than said semicircular form in the heads. The plates 43 have their ends formed semicircular, as clearly shown in Fi 1, and a piston-ring 4:5 is adapted to act on said plates 13 through the medium of their semicircular ends and force the plate outwardly against the wall of the cylinder. These rings also form the packing against the cylinder-heads, and the said peripheral flattened portions of the cylinder are 'eX tended slightly into the heads in order that the plates 43 may extend overthe joint formed between the heads and the main casting of the cylinder. By this arrangement it will be seen that a tight joint may be obtained and that when wear occurs in the parts the rings 45 will take up and compensate for the same. The shaft 4 extends through stuffingboxes in either cylinder-head, and these stuifing-boxes are so constructed that when the shaft 4 has worn a certain part of their lower side the main portion of the stuffing-box may be slightly revolved, thus presenting a new surface to the shaft 4 and permitting much more wear and a tighter joint than has heretofore been attained. The inner end &6 of these stuffing-boxes extends slightly into the cylinder and is of a V formation, said V extending into a suitable cut-away portion 47 in the part 45, thus also increasing the efficiency of the packing.

The entire engine is supported on a base by suitable brackets and is so arranged that adjustment of the different parts may be readily obtained.

While I have herein fully described my invention in detail, it will be obyious that various changes may be made in the arrangementand details of construction of the different parts and that the parts used herein, which are of common construction, could be materially changed without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fluid-pressure motor, the combination of a cylinder-body, a control and a power cylinderformed therein, a control-shaft pass ing through said control-cylinder, a plurality of wings formed on said shaft, packing n1ounted in the several wings, a power-shaft running to the power cylinder, a piston con nected with said shaft and adapted during its revolution to pass through the control-cylinder between two of the wings, packing formed in said piston, exhausts connected with said power-cylinder at either side thereof, steaminlets connected with said cylinders at their point of intersection, a valve for controlling said steam-inlets, valves for controlling the steam-exhausts, a valve for controlling the inlet of steam, means mounted on the powershaft for actuating said inlet-valve, and means operated from a common point for simultaneously actuating the inlet-valm-actuating means, the inlet-port valve and the exhaust valves, substantially as described.

2. In a fluid-pressure motor, the combination of a casing in which a control and power cylinder are formed, a power-shaft running through said power-cylinder and having a pis ton secured thereto, a control-shaft running through the control-cylinder and having a plurality of wings secured thereto, one of said wings forming an abutment during the rotation of the piston, cylinder-heads provided with annular concave grooves corresponding with the bore of the cylinders, the pistons operating in said grooves, steam-exhaust parts connected to the power-cylinder, pipes having valves connecting with said ports, inletports connected with the power-cylinder, one being on either side of the wing forming the abutment, a valve for cutting off one or the other of said ports, a valve for controlling the inlet of steam to the said ports, oppositelydisposed eccentrics for controlling said valve, and means whereby the valves in the exhaustpipes the valve controlling the inlet-ports and the eccentrics are actuated from a common point for the purpose of reversing the engine, substantially as described.

3. In a fluid-pressure motor, the combination of a casing in which a power-cylinder and control-cylinder are formed, heads having con-' cave annular grooves, a piston formed in the power-cylinder, the ends of said piston being admitted to operate within said grooves, a plurality of wings operating upon a shaft in the control-cylinder, the ends of said wings being adapted to operate within said groove, powershaft connected with the piston, a star-wheel on the end of the controlshaft, an actuating member on the power-shaft adapted to actu-. ate said star-wheel for the purpose of rotating the wings, a lock engaging one face of the star-wheel whereby same is held in position during a portion of the pistons travel, means carried on the power-shaft whereby said lock is released at a predetermined point, and stud ing-boxes through which the power-shaft extends into the cylinder which are adapted to be turned whereby a new wearing-surface is presented to said shaft, substantially as described.

4. In a fluid-pressure motor the combination with the control-cylinder its wings and its shaft and a star-wheel on said shaft, of the power cylinder its piston and shaft and a knocker-arm on said shaft adapted to engage said star-wheel, a locking device adapted to IO ton-shaft, a pivoted lever adapted to engage with the star-wheel and EL cam-lug carried on the piston-shaft and adapted to disengage said lever from the star-wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in I 5 the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY E. MARLETT. l/Vitnesses:

H. G. EVERT, K. H. BUTLER. 

